It’s five degrees Celsius outside. As the car turns into the courtyard entrance of the Rosewood Hong Kong, my driver tells me it’s not supposed to be this cold this time of the year, but yesterday’s heavy rain has made the temperature plummet. I get out and am greeted by the piercing chill and something else equally hard to miss: the hulking “Sleeping Lady” sculpture by British contemporary artist Thomas Houseago.
The piece is figurative, so I try to make out a woman in slumber. Known for exaggeratedly masculine artworks, Houseago collaborated with Brad Pitt and musician Nick Cave on an exhibition at the Sara Hildén Art Museum in Finland two years ago.
The doormen—and there are eight of them stationed at the front of the hotel, the first hint of the property’s sumptuousness—usher me inside, where I immediately see another bronze sculpture. It’s “Pair of Walking Figures – Jubilee” by Lynn Chadwick, a pioneer of British post-war modernism whose works are exhibited in major museums around the world. The 1977 showpiece is recognised for being a stellar example of motion depiction. It’s stately and straightforward. I like it.
At the lift lobby, I stumble upon “Da Free John” and “Tomten” by American artist Joe Bradley, who produces playful, irreverent paintings devoid of meaning and is currently one of the most prominent painters in New York. The two canvases characterise modern abstract expressionism and loom over a long, low table. Bradley’s style makes them difficult to read. But they are eye-catching.
One could be forgiven for wondering if the Rosewood Hong Kong doubles as an art gallery. As it is, art is advocated in all forms here. “We believe in immersing our guests in the art world through our art collection and interiors to celebrate the incredible dynamism, style and diversity Hong Kong has to offer,” managing director Hugo Montanari tells me. The wide-ranging representation, he adds, is in line with its philosophy ‘A Sense of Place’.
I meet with my butler Arthur, who whisks me to the 37th floor. The hotel occupies 43 floors of the multi-use Rosewood Tower, a new landmark on the glimmering harbourfront in Tsim Sha Tsui. Once the lift doors open, I find myself in an expansive salon bedecked with vintage collectibles of local culture. There are also armchairs by Giorgetti, an Italian furniture manufacturer with over a century of history. Not that it is unexpected, but details are the name of the game here.
Arthur leads me to my room and launches into a brief introduction of the amenities. He points to an oil painting of a man in a suit at a bar counter. “This is by William Lo. He was commissioned to create a series that captures everyday Hong Kong life for us and did his painting from over there,” he says, pointing at the window. Over where? “There, from across the harbour, looking at the hotel from a distance,” he adds.
I nod intently. Lo is a New York-based, Chinese artist whose works are featured in the book Whimsical Tales of Hong Kong, which sits on a carved wooden shelf within arm’s reach of the bed. Also on the wall is a “Hong Kong Life” print by home-grown ink artist Wilson Shieh. His tongue-in-cheek depictions of local characters are a form of social commentary and personify residents through fashion trends. The line art is cute, chic and a contrast to Lo’s piece. It’s cool, I think, that they hand in the same room.
Space, a prized commodity in land-scarce Hong Kong, and luxury are the cornerstones of the Rosewood Hong Kong—there are not only his-and-her sinks, but also his-and-her rain showers. There’s also a bathtub. “The bathroom is so big, I sometimes get lost,” jests Arthur. I cackle. He’s good at his job.
The hotel also houses a series of Zodiac paintings by British artist Damien Hirst, known for his paintings, medicine cabinet sculptures and glass tank installations. Each circular Zodiac piece features a single pop of colour punctuated by a blue butterfly in the middle. It is why they hang in The Butterfly Room, an elegant tea lounge.
In need of a nightcap, I head to Darkside, which came in ninth in last year’s Asia’s 50 Best Bars. Despite being displayed at the back of the room, an art photograph from Russian photographer Alexander Khokhlov’s “Weird Beauty” series catches my eye. It is intended to show that familiar objects or conventional characters can be the focus of a kaleidoscopic black and white image. Weird and wonderful is why I think it was chosen for a jazz bar.
It may be frosty outside, but the unexpected art tour of the Rosewood Hong Kong has warmed my cultural senses. Every corner spotlights a work of art that begs an emotional response. If this is just the start of my trip, I can only imagine what the city beyond these walls has to offer.
